The Jewels of the Quran

Surely this Qurâān guides
you to the way which is most firm and right, and gives the believers who do
good deeds the glad tidings that they shall have a great reward and warns that
for those who do not believe in the Hereafter We have prepared a grievous
chastisement. - Qurâān 17:9-10

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 9

CONTENTS OF THE BOOK IN DETAIL 15

PART
ONE

Chapter

1. The Qurâān is like an
ocean which covers various types of jewels and valuables 19

2. The aims of the Qurâān
and its valuables are of six kinds 21

3. An explanation of the
six aims of the Qurâān 23

4. Branching off of all
sciences from the ten divisions of the Qurâān, and an explanation of grades of
sciences 34

5. Stemming off of the
sciences of the ancients and the moderns from the Qurâān 45

6. The meaning of the
statement that the Qurâān comprises red brimstone, greatest antidote,
strongest musk, and all other valuables and jewels 49

7. Why the entities of
the invisible world are explained in the Qurâān by means of similitudes from
the visible world 53

8. Comprehension of the
connection between the invisible world and the visible world 56

12. Secrets of the Sara
of the Opening, and how it comprises eight of the ten valuables of the Qurâān
66

13. The Sura of Opening
is the key to all doors of Paradise 73

14. Why the Verse of the
Throne is considered the chief of the Qurâānic verses 75

15. Why the value of the
Sara of Sincerity is equal to that of a third part of the Qurâān 79

16. Why the Sara of Ya
Sin is the heart of the Qurâān 81

17. Why the Verse of
the Throne is regarded the chief of the Qurâānic verses.

Why
the Sura of Opening is the best of all suras 82

18. The condition of the
gnostics 84

19. The reason for
stringing the jewels and the pearls of the Qurâān on two separate
strings 87

PART
TWO

Chapter 1. The jewels of
the Qurâān 89

Chapter 2. The pearls of
the Qurâān 156

CONCLUSION ON THE TWO CLASSES OF VERSES

Why the discussion of Qurâānic verses has been
confined to the classes of jewels and pearls 224

BIBLIOGRAPHY 225

The following will not be in the online version: (Ed.)

INDEX

General Index
230

Index of Qurâānic suras
and verses 240-244

INTRODUCTION

We reveal progressively
of the Qurâān that which is a spiritual healing and a mercy for the believers.
- Qurâān 17:82

The Qurâān is the Holy
Scripture of Islam revealed to the prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him!)
through the angel of revelation, Gabriel. in approximately twenty-three years
of his lifetime (610 A.D. - 632) in Mecca and Medina. Seven hundred million
human beings who call themselves Muslims have accepted it as the Creatorâs
final message or revelation to mankind and jinn (infra, p. 46, n. 74),
two intelligent species charged with religious and moral responsibilities.
Muslims not only read and study the Qurâān for drawing guidance in all aspects
of their life, but also recite it for other purposes, such as the obtaining of
reward from God and gaining the blessings which come from uttering the divine
speech. Recitation for these purposes is made at different times and on
various occasions, e.g. in the morning, at night, on completion of every
ritual prayer, at the start of sermons, in ceremonies and in pious gatherings.
Thus the Qurâān is practically inseparable from the life of a Muslim. Many
non-Muslims have also been interested in the Qurâān and most of them have
regarded it with reverance as the Holy Scripture of a great faith; the reasons
for their interest in the Scripture of another religion, however, are
obviously not identical with those of Muslims.

The Qurâān is purely divine
but its understanding is completely human - a statement often made by Muslim
scholars of recognized authority. The understanding of the Qurâān concerns not
only the meaning and significance of its verses, but also several broad
problems related to it as a whole. Scholars sometimes differ in understanding
some aspects of the Qua an. Non-Muslims differ from Muslims primarily in
apprehending certain fundamental issues concerning the Scripture, e.g. its
authority, its source, and the nature of its appeal to human beings - whether
this appeal is universal or limited to some particular sections of humanity -
and they differ mainly because their religious beliefs and ideological
convictions are different. Among the Muslim scholars themselves differences
have also occurred in respect of the meaning and import of several categories
of verses and also in respect of apprehending certain basic Qurâānic problems,
such as the eternity or created nature of the Qurâān, and the methods of
understanding it. Thus the Sunnites, the Shiâites, the Muâtazilites, the
Ashâarites, the Literalists, the Sufis, the Philosophers, and the Modernists
are not always found to be in agreement on Qurâānic interpretation and in
their views on some Qurâānic problems of importance. The reasons why they
differ among themselves in understanding the Scripture are rooted in their
disagreement on other matters.

One of the leading Muslim
thinkers who adheres mainly to the Sunnites, the Ashâarites and the Sufis and
who is strongly opposed to the Shiâite the Muâtazilites, the Literalists and
part of the theories of his contemporary philosophers, is Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
(d. 505 A.H./1111 A.D.). He has sometimes been acclaimed in both East and West
as the greatest religious authority of Islam after the prophet Muhammad, and
he is by no means unworthy of this dignity. Muslims have given him the title
of the Proof of Islam (hujjat al-Islam) and the Ornament of Religion
(zayn ad-din). His accomplishments have spread over many diverse branches
of learning including Islamic jurisprudence, theology, logic, metaphysics,
ethics, sufism, and Qurâānic studies. At an advanced age, when he had already
composed numerous works on many of these Islamic intellectual disciplines and
when he had already completed traversing the guff path and thus had already
ascended to the highest peak of intellectual and spiritual achievement, he
expressed his own understanding of the Qurâān through the composition of a
work, Jawahir al- Qurâān, which, in the following chapters, has been
translated into English under the title The Jewels of the Qurâān. This
book is the source for much of what we know concerning al-Ghazali s own views
on our religious Scripture. Itis of course not a commentary on the
Qurâān in the general usage of the term, although it does comment upon certain
important Qurâānic suras and verses in various connections. It presents us
with al-Ghazaliâs own understanding of some basic problems concerning the
Qurâān - problems which are of equal interest to both Muslim and non-Muslim
students of the Scripture. Throughout the book there is an emphasis - a strong
emphasis - upon employing what the author considers to be the correct method
of apprehending the Holy Book, i.e. upon penetrating into the depth of the
inner, hidden meanings of the Qurâānic verses, without merely being content
with their outward meanings, like a diverâs diving down to the depths of a
fathomless ocean in order to bring out the hidden pearls and treasures. A very
clear-cut and complete, but brief, theory concerning the aims (maqasid)
of the Qurâān is given in this book - a theory which is recognized as
important and is often quoted by as-Suyuti (d, 911 A.H.) and other later
scholars of the Qurâān. Inseparably connected with this theory is another, in
which al-Ghazali demonstrates that all diverse branches of Islamic learning
have stemmed from the Qurâān; this is a demonstration of the view usually held
by Muslims that the Holy Scripture constitutes the sole source of all forms of
Islamic knowledge. In this book there is also an effort to demonstrate the
truth of the statements of the prophet Muhammad on the excellence of some
Qurâānic suras and verses over others - e.g. his statements: The Sura of Ya
Sin is the heart of the Qurâān, the Throne Verse is the chief of all Qurâānic
verses, the Sura of Sincerity equals the merit of one-third of the entire
Qurâān, the Opening Sura is the key to all the doors of Paradise, and so on.
The second part of the book presents us with all âjewelâ verses and all
âpearlâ verses verses which are concerned with the two most important of the
six principal aims of the Scripture. The separation of these verses from all
the other verses which concern the remaining aims of the Qurâān is
unprecedented in the history of Qurâānic literature and must be regarded as a
significant contribution to Qurâānic studies. These are the main problems
discussed in this book. In connection with them other minor but important
problems have also been dealt with, one of them being the relationship between
the world of perception and the world of the unseen; this relationship is
reminiscent of Platoâs well known theory of forms - a reason why students of
al-Ghazali sometimes tend to think of Platoâs influence upon him.

The writing in the first
part of the book is mostly allegorical; this is needed in order to facilitate
the exposition of the lofty and magnificent nature of the Qurâān. The truth
underlying the major allegories employed is explained, and sometimes separate
sections are devoted to this task; yet allegories are to be found here and
there unexplained, demanding the readerâs own effort to grasp their underlying
meaning and significance. The treatment of the book is serious, deep,
penetrating and, above all, so logical that one chapter follows another
automatically and smoothly. This logical arrangement of material is in
complete agreement with al-Ghazaliâs usual method of composition.

Since this English
version of the book is the translation of the Arabic original it seems
necessary to mention the methods employed in making this translation. It is
not a strictly literal rendering of the original; rather it is the
presentation of the meaning of the original in easy, modern English; in
presenting this meaning, however, efforts are made to be very close to the
original. Sometimes materials are added in the text for clarification of the
meaning, and these are put between square brackets. Where an expression of the
original is likely to affect the flow of reading, such an expression is put
between round brackets. All footnotes are added by the translator, sometimes
to clarify difficult concepts, phrases and words, and sometimes to provide the
reader with more relevant information. In the numbering of the Qurâānic verses
appearing in this book the official Egyptian edition of the Qurâān is
consistently followed. The terms Qurâān and sura are occasionally abbreviated
as Q. and S. respectively.

In respect of the
translation of more than fifteen hundred Qurâānic verses which appear in this
book, the reader will notice a sharp deviation from the archaic English of
earlier Biblical translations. This style influenced many English translations
of the Qurâān which are, as a result, clumsy, obscure or incomprehensible,
especially to the general reader, despite the Qurâānâs repeated claim to be a
clear, easy book of guidance. This disadvantage of the older Biblical style of
translation was also pointed out by A. J. Arberry more than two decades ago;
he himself retained what he considered to be âa minimal obedience to
traditionâ (The Holy Koran: An Introduction With Selections, London,
1953, p. 31). In the last twenty-four years Islam expanded greatly, especially
in Africa, Europe, Canada and the United States of America, but many new
converts have been heard to express their weariness at the Biblical style of
Qurâān-translation and their desire for translations in regular, modern,
free-flowing English, which would not only be scholarly but also interesting
and enjoyable. Such a translation of more than fifteen hundred Qurâānic verses
has been attempted in this book. The reader will also notice that the present
translation has tried to retain the emphasis which Qurâānic verses contain
very often through various linguistic subtleties. This emphasis aims at
eliciting positive response on the part of the. hearer, and forms one of the
special characteristics of the Scripture of Islam. Most of the Qurâān
translators have neglected this emphasis. In respects other than this and the
style, the present translation sometimes agrees with the existing ones to
which it is indebted. It is hoped that this small book of al-Ghazali will be
of great help to the English speaking reader in his understanding of the
Qurâān.

The first part of this English version of the book was
prepared in Edinburgh in June, 1973 on completion of my doctoral studies in
the ethics of al-Ghazali under the supervision of Professor W. Montgomery
Watt. I should like to record my thanks to Mrs. Phyllis Graham for carefully
going through the manuscript of that part and to Dr. Roger Card of the
National University of Malaysia for reading the manuscript of the entire book
and making some valuable suggestions. My thanks are also due to Mr. Syed
Zulflida, Mr. Peter Mooney, Mr. Lee Gray and Mr. Moxie Craus of the National
University of Malaysia for editing the manuscript and for reading the proofs.

M.
Abul Quasem

Kuala Lumpur, Dhu l-Hijja 1397 November 1977

CONTENTS OF THE BOOK IN DETAIL

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful

All
types of perfect praise belong to God alone, the Lord of all the worlds. May
His blessings be on His prophet Muhammad, on all [members of] his family, and
on all his companions)

This
section concerns the content of the book we have named the Jewels of the
Qurâān .

Know
(may God guide you to the right path!) that we have arranged this book in
three parts: One on introductory matters, one on aims, and one on the matters
connected with the aims.

The
first part which is on introductory matters comprises nineteen chapters:

1. The Qurâān is [like]
an ocean which covers many types of jewels and valuables.

2. The limiting of the
aims of the Qurâān and its valuables to six divisions of which three are
important principles and three follow them and complete them.

3. The explanation of
these six divisions one by one. They branch off so that they become ten.

4. The process by which
all sciences branch off from these ten divisions. The sciences of the Qurâān
are divided into the science of the outer shell and the science of the inner
jewels. An explanation of the grades of sciences.

5. How the sciences of
the ancients and the moderns branch off from the Qurâān./[1]

6. The meaning of the
statement that the Qurâān comprises red brimstone, the greatest antidote, the
strongest musk, and all other valuables and pearls. This can only be known by
one who knows the relationship between the visible world and the invisible
world.

7-The reasons why the
entities of the invisible world are illustrated in the Qurâān by means of
similitudes derived from the visible world.

8. The comprehension of
the connection existing between the visible world and the invisible world.

9. Analysis of the
allegories underlying red brimstone, the greatest antidote, the strongest
musk, aloe-wood, corundums, pearls, and so on.

10. The benefit of
employing these allegories.

11. How some verses of
the Qurâān excel others when the whole of it is the speech of God (may He be
exalted!).

12. The secrets of the
Sura of Opening (al-Fatiha)
(Sura 1.) and how
it comprises eight of the ten types of the valuables of the Qurâān. The
description of part of the meaning of âMost Gracious, Ever Mercifulâ in
relation to the nature of animals.

13. That the eight doors
of Paradise are opened through the Sura of Opening (al-Fatiha)
(Sura 1.) and
that it is the key to all of them.

14. Why the Verse of the
Throne (Ayat
al-Kursi)
(Qurâān 2:255) is regarded as the chief of Qurâānic verses, and why it is
nobler than the verses, âGod bears witnessâ (Qurâān 3:18) , âProclaim: He is
God, the Singleâ (Qurâān 112:1) , the

beginning of the Sura of
Irons (awl
al-Hadid) (Qurâān
57:1-6) , the end of the Sura of the Gathering (aâkhir
al-Hashr) (Qurâān
59:22-24) and all other verses.

15. An investigation into
the reason why the [value of the] Sura of Sincerity (Surat
al-Ikhlas) (Sura
112) is equal to [the value of] a third part of the Qurâān.

16. Why the Sura of Ya
Sin (Sura 36 ) is regarded as the heart of the Qurâān.

17. Why the Prophet (may
God bless him and greet him!) specified the Sura of Opening (al-fatiah,
Sura 1) as the best sura of the Qurâān and the Verse of the Throne (ayat al-kursi
) as the chief of the Qurâānic verses, and why this was better than its
opposite.

18. The condition of the
gnostics (al-âarifun). In this world they are as if in âa
Paradise the breadth of which is greater than the heavens and the earthâ; (Qurâān
3:133) âthe clusters of the fruits of theirâ present âParadise are near to
gatherâ (Qurâān 69:23) and âare unfailing and unforbiddenâ. (Qurâān 56:32-33)

19. The secret reason for
stringing the jewels of the Qurâān on one string and its pearls on another.

These are the nineteen chapters [which constitute the first part of the book].

The
second part deals with the aims, and comprises the pith of the Qurâānic verses
which are of two kinds. The first consists of the jewels which are the verses
revealed especially concerning the essence of God (to Him belong glory and
power), His attributes and works. This is the cognitive part (al-qism al-âilmi)./
The second consists of the pearls which are verses on the description of
the straight path (as-Sirat
al-mustaqim)
and verses which urge man to follow it. This is the practical part (al-qism
al-âamali).

A
chapter explaining the reason why the Qurâānic verses have been confined to
this sum total.[2]

[PART ONE - INTRODUCTORY
MATTERS]

[This part deals with
several important problems about the Qurâān. It comprises nineteen chapters-some
of which-concern- - â problems about the Qurâān as a whole, while others treat
problems related to some of its specific parts. These chapters are arranged by
al-Ghazali so logically and systematically that one chapter leads the reader
to another automatically and smoothly. ]

[1]This oblique sign is
used throughout this book in order to indicate the termination of a page of
the Arabic original

[2]
At this place thirty-four lines of the original Arabic text have not been
translated because they describe the contents, not of The Jewels of
the Qurâān, but of another work of al-Ghazali, The Book of the
Forty on the Principles of Religion (Kitab al-Arbaâin fi Usual
ad-Din).

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